Maine Bookstore Flood Destroys Original Stephen King Manuscripts

Stephen King super fan Gerald Winters opened a bookstore in Bangor, Maine, which is known for its part in inspiring the fictional town of Derry, Maine, in the novel IT. Earlier this week, following a burst water main in front of 46 Main St, the bookstore maintained significant water damage destroying a large percentage of Winters’ collection.

Stephen King said Wednesday that he was “horrified” to learn that tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of rare books ruined after the burst water pipe flooded the basement of several downtown Bangor businesses.

Gerald Winters’ bookstore specialised in rare and limited editions of Stephen King’s books and contained King’s own original typed manuscripts for Dolan’s Cadillac, Maximum OverdriveandThe Eyes of the Dragon. Winters’ collection had temporarily been moved into the basement and only ten percent of the stock was salvageable. Galley proofs, signed copies and prints in different languages are among the items believed to be damaged.

“I’m horrified. As a book lover, my heart goes out to him,” King told the Bangor Daily News on Wednesday. “I will eventually reach out and see if I can help in any way.”

“You can’t replace this stuff,” a heartbroken Winters told the outlet. Winters opened Gerald Winters & Son in Bangor in 2016. Winters spent almost 20 years collecting rare King books and other items.